Comments on: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Depressionhttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/
Information & encouragement to fight RASat, 10 Feb 2018 21:52:57 +0000hourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.2By: Sandra Wrighthttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2616967
Tue, 12 Dec 2017 17:48:53 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2616967OMG! This is brilliant, just found it. I’m a nurse and it took me months to figure out that I was grieving my diagnosis. And am still grieving and just started with a counselor. Will see if I can get her to understand that part. Anyway, my rheum and I held onto the hope that I had some post-Lyme autoimmune arthritis for a year and half. But it kept progressing and once I got him to radiograph my hands … now I’m living the MTX dream. Ha, ha.
]]>By: Debrahttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2397578
Fri, 07 Apr 2017 00:24:26 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2397578It truly is a vicious cycle and I look forward to reading your comments and those of others.
I truly believe it shouldn’t take a village of doctors to treat this disease. Comprehensive care from one source is ideal and is the most compassionate care giving. Whatever happened to that? I hate talking about my symptoms and repeating myself five times over to every doctor treating side effects caused by this hideous disease. Don’t get me wrong. I understand that this day and age is full of specialists, and of course, I’d want an experienced and knowledgeable heart doctor to treat heart disease, but the basic issues we deal with, like depression because of this disease, could be treated by a Rheumatologist.
Diagnosed almost twenty years ago, I was never depressed. Mine at least was manageable with a prescription. They have us shuffling around from doctor to doctor when we can barely shuffle anymore!
There has been a definite switch in the Rheumatologist’s role since my diagnosis and it is not a good one. Many have left the field of rheumatology and those newbies are not in tune with the critical care required of the patient. Either their hands are tied with regulations and the fear of malpractice or this new breed of specialists are not medically trained as those earlier ones.
Rheumatologist’s are a dying breed… just like us.
Thanks for listening, Kelly. It really does “take one to know one” and I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into keeping us informed as you fight this battle too!
]]>By: Kelly Younghttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2397508
Thu, 06 Apr 2017 22:40:34 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2397508Debra your comment has struck a point related to one of the core reasons for this site – I’ll try to answer more fully in a blog post soon.
As for now, my advice is to do whatever you need to care for yourself. And yes I’ll acknowledge it’s really hard work with RD.
]]>By: Debrahttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2397374
Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:45:04 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2397374Yes. Been there and got the T-shirt so to speak. What’s really depressing is that my RA doc won’t treat any of the side effects and other diagnoses that relate to RA (RD).
Depressed? Go see your general practitioner.
Pain? Go see a pain specialist.
Hands hurt (swan fingers and trigger fingers)? Go see an orthopedic surgeon.
Broken back? Oh well.
He wants nothing to do except prescribe biologics.
Makes me even more depressed since I did have a doctor who treated everything but she retired.
Anyone else whose doctor doesn’t want the responsibility/liability of treating anything other than the disease?
]]>By: Celina Richardshttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2019343
Mon, 21 Mar 2016 22:09:40 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-2019343Wow! I’ve had depression for years before I realized what is really going on. I have six living children from 3 mo to 9 years. I have had flare ups with all of them but they have gotten worse over time. I’ve prayed over the years for a source of this depression and now I think I have it! The effect of the chronic pain on my mind and body. It’s hard not to be unable to keep up with laundry and dishes, etc and to be so sore I can’t hold my baby up to bounce on her legs or even carry her in a backpack because of the pain. The tears are falling fast even as I wrote this. Thanks for providing a place where I can share and others will understand what I’m going through. I’m finding it hard to even stand up by the end of the day. I’m trying diet and lifestyle modification first and trying to moderate stress and for healing of past emotional pain to get at the root of this.
]]>By: Annehttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-732914
Sat, 31 Aug 2013 02:56:24 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-732914I understand depression too. I just spent half of the summer in hospital. First a hip fracture, now a bone infection in my foot caused by neuropathy – caused by documented surgical blunder years ago.. Facing weeks on IV antibiotics, risking C-Diff from all those antibiotics. Over 30 surgeries in 15 years.. Can’t take TNF’s now because of this serious infection, can’t increase Prednisone for same reason…..joints flaring…little sleep, 2 big city hospitals, no solutions. I’m 50 and just get so tired of the fight sometime. The light at the end of the tunnel seems so dim sometimes and seems to keep moving further away.
And it seems that loneliness is compounded by isolation, lack of independence, sense of friends pulling away. Does anyone else encounter that or is it just me?
My hope circles around my faith and family. I’m encouraged by this blog and Kelly’s work and activism. I can’t understand why this disease is so underfunded, under researched and downplayed by so many. What other disease causes so much damage? What other disease causes suffering and disability for years and years and years? I’m confident that there will be better treatment in the future, but it is time now for rheumatoid disease sufferers to speak up and fight for themselves and for future sufferers. I certainly never want my children or nieces or nephews to walks down the path I am now hobbling and sometimes rolling along.
]]>By: Sandrahttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-732227
Fri, 30 Aug 2013 14:11:19 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-732227This is rambling, but it’s the best I can explain. My first symptom of rheumatic disease (there’s disagreement about diagnoses) was depression. I hurt, had no energy, had difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions. I felt guilty and worthless, could not help myself, was anxious, irritable, and restless. I tried to maintain my former activities, I could not get going, and I blamed myself! The more I struggled, the more I felt mired in quicksand. I was treated for depression, and I felt better, but it did not help enough with the pain and fatigue, because depression was a symptom.
I finally realized that when I feel better my mood is better, and when I’m in pain and/or fatigued, I feel worse. D’uh. Sure, there is a mind-body connection, but I do not have as much control over how I feel as I thought I did.
Researchers know that the rheumatic diseases–rheumatoid, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.–involve inflammation, and that inflammation affects all parts of the body. Chemically, the same inflammatory cytokines that affect our joints and other body parts affect our brains. Drugs, foods, and behaviors affect our chemistry, and we can alter those, but not predictably, and not all the time.
The sameness and unpredictability of chronic disease wears on you, and you get tired, and the cascade of chemicals washes over you. There’s a certain type of surrender that is needed to create a certain type of resilience.
Yes, we’re warriors, and we fight, but judo is required. The principles of seiryoku zen’yō (maximum efficiency, minimum effort) and jita kyōei (mutual welfare and benefit) applied with the concept of jū yoku gō o seisu (gentleness controls hardness): “In short, resisting a more powerful opponent will result in your defeat, whilst adjusting to and evading your opponent’s attack will cause him to lose his balance, his power will be reduced, and you will defeat him. This can apply whatever the relative values of power, thus making it possible for weaker opponents to beat significantly stronger ones. This is the theory of ju yoku go o seisu.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo)
Life is bearable when I rest when I have to and do what I can when I can. I had to learn how to be sick well–to learn what I can (thanks, Kelly!), to give up what I had to (my job, my income, many friends) and pursue what I need (disability income, support from others).
The only real mistake, I think, is failing to be kind to ourselves.
]]>By: Judyhttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-731438
Fri, 30 Aug 2013 02:22:31 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-731438Kelly -GREAT topic! Reading through all the responses makes it VERY clear that those who encounter indifference or misunderstanding from lived ones about RA are those who seem to be expressing the most suffering. I can sympathize – with an ex husband who used RA against me in many ways, deepening the depression and (I believe) creating more emotional stress that resulted in a worsening of symptoms – a vicious cycle!

I am so glad for this forum and for Kally’s tireless work. This. Website should be required reading for all of our loved ones – it is too important to maintain a support network and too much damage can be done through careless or ignorant words from those who are closest to us.

I’m heading into a flare – triggered by emotional stress – but since I am also experiencing depression my Rheumy is not comfortable going to steroids as they might make the depression worse. As a result, I’m dealing with agonizing hot poker pain that so many of you are familiar with, and I can’t stay on my feet for longer than a couple of minutes. I have to say, I am getting to the point where I feel the need to avoid any entanglements/relationships. I realize I am too sick to even absorb the petty cruelties that often creep into these relationships – what used to be a minor annoyance now, literally, cripples me. This is a new grief…but, as I have for the last several years, I’ll weather this one as well and believe it is right to allow myself to experience the grief and move through it rather than burying it. Thanks for this thought provoking subject Kelly.

]]>By: Lorihttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-731397
Fri, 30 Aug 2013 01:23:09 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-731397I’ve experienced depression several times throughout the corse of my RA, diagnosed in 2004 by FP dr and diagnosed with Rheum in 2011. With that diagnosis is life changing events. With all the denial of the disease with family, friends and some doctors is it any wonder that depression happens.
]]>By: KarlaGRhttp://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-731365
Fri, 30 Aug 2013 00:51:42 +0000http://rawarrior.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-and-depression/#comment-731365Thank you Kelly for another thoughtful article! It’s been a year since my struggle started, and I have had my moments that’s for sure! My boyfriend suffers from depression, he is on Cymbalta and highly recommends it. So far I have been able to pull myself out of it after a few days, but mostly because of him.

It is so great to have a place like this where we are free to talk about our illness and complain to each other! It was hinted to me that maybe I didn’t want to talk about my illness so much, but that can be difficult. I have tried to explain, I don’t talk about my disease because I want your sympathy or expect you to help me. It’s just a part of my life, like my job or my child or my hobbies. It’s frustrating when people don’t understand. So I started a blog, just a place where I can go and vent or talk about issues or write about the funny things that cross my mind during the day. I think having that, and a place like this to come to, are a great help! Sometimes I come here just to read the stories and remember how lucky I am I can still go to work every day and do most things without too much trouble. There is always someone worse off than me…..